12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

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12 Practice Tests for the SAT
Practice Test Three Answers and Explanations
21. A
Difficulty: Medium
Take a flexible approach to interpreting answer choices-ask
yourself, "How would this apply to this passage if it were true?"
The most obvious difference between Jessie and Author 1 is
that Jessie has bipolar disorder and Author 1 does not. Another
important difference is that while Author 1 struggles for her
friends' approval, Jessie is at the center of her social group.
Choice (A) matches one of your predictions. Choice (B) is out
of scope; we have no information about Author l's academic
success. Choice (C) is a misused detail; both Author 1 and
Jessie seem to spend a significant portion of their energy on
friendships. There is no identifiable difference. Choice (D) is
an opposite; both are influenced by the judgment of others, as
is shown by their respective insecurities. Choice (E) is out of
scope; we don't have any strong information that either Jessie
or Author 1 has a conscious desire to befriend an emotionally
diverse group of people.
22. D
Difficulty: Low
Work through the choices, eliminating ones that do describe
Jessie or don't describe Author 1 . Author 1 used to believe
that her happiness made her somehow inferior but no longer
feels that way, as can be derived from her statement that
she felt that way at the time. Jessie, on the other hand, is
described as thinking about her disorder as simultaneously
the thing she was most proud of and the thing she was
most ashamed of. She also had a true discomfort with who
she really was, according to the narrator. So the difference
between these two is that Author 1 has come to accept
herself, while Jessie did not.
Choice (A) is out of scope; nobody in either passage is
considering leaving school. Choice (B) is a distortion; though
Author 1 describes her family life in a positive way, there is
no mention of family gatherings. Choice (C) is extreme;
Author 1 is not described as attempting to obtain an
emotional change. Choice (D) works with your prediction.
Choice (E) is out of scope; there is no evidence that Author
l ever lied about her childhood.
23. A
Difficulty: Medium
There are many possible answers for a question as broad
as this. One prediction could be that Passage 1 advocates
against trying to be someone other than who you are (since
at the end, the character realized that the most respectful
thing she could do was to accept her own circumstances),
and Passage 2 seems to imply that being insecure doesn't
have to be a social drawback.
Choice (A) works with both passages. Choice (B) is out of
scope; genetics are never mentioned in Passage 1, only
class and external social factors. Choice (C) is an opposite;
both passages portray characters who are somewhat
uncomfortable with themselves. Choice (D) is a distortion;
though Author l would like to be different, she does not
succeed in becoming so. Choice (E) is an opposite; both
passages investigate the psychological landscapes of their
characters.
24. E
Difficulty: Medium
Both passages discuss the social effects of emotional
disorders; one woman longs to have one because her
friends do, and another lets bipolar disorder affect all her
social interactions. Look for an answer that reflects this.
Choice (A) is out of scope; the effect of economic status
on social position is not discussed in either passage. Choice
(B) is extreme; though both passages deal with students,
neither passage attempts to claim that students are the
primary group affected. Choice (C) is extreme; Passage l
does not even mention college. Choice (D) is out of scope;
the causes of emotional disorders are not examined in
either passage. Choice (E) matches your prediction.
SECTION 3
1. A
Difficulty: Low
Strategic Advice: You could approach this problem
by solving the first equation for x and then substituting
that value into the second equation, but note that both
equations include 4x. All you need is to solve for 4x and
then substitute that value into the second equation.
Getting to the Answer:
4x + 2 = 26
Substitute:
4x =24
4x + 8 =24 + 8
=32